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2 Samuel 1:11-27
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 Samuel 1:11-27
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
11 David seized his garments and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.(A) 12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.(B) 13 David said to the youth who had reported to him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put forth your hand to desecrate the Lord’s anointed?”(C) 15 David then called one of the attendants and said to him, “Come, strike him down”; so he struck him and he died. 16 David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for you testified against yourself when you said, ‘I put the Lord’s anointed to death.’”
Lament for Saul and Jonathan. 17 Then David chanted this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan 18 (he commanded that it be taught to the Judahites; it is recorded in the Book of Jashar):(D)
19 Alas! the glory of Israel,
slain upon your heights!
How can the warriors have fallen!
20 Do not report it in Gath,
as good news in Ashkelon’s streets,
Lest Philistine women rejoice,
lest the women of the uncircumcised exult!(E)
21 O mountains of Gilboa,
upon you be neither dew nor rain,
nor surging from the deeps![a]
Defiled there the warriors’ shields,
the shield of Saul—no longer anointed with oil!(F)
22 From the blood of the slain,
from the bodies of the warriors,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
nor the sword of Saul return unstained.[b](G)
23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and dear,
separated neither in life nor death,
swifter than eagles, stronger than lions!
24 Women of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and in finery,
covered your clothing with ornaments of gold.
25 How can the warriors have fallen
in the thick of battle!
Jonathan—slain upon your heights!
26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother!
Most dear have you been to me;
More wondrous your love to me
than the love of women.(H)
27 How can the warriors have fallen,
the weapons of war have perished!
Footnotes
- 1:21 Surging from the deeps: this conjectural reading of the Hebrew yields a parallelism with dew and rain: the mountains where the warriors have fallen in battle are to be desiccated, deprived of water from above (rain, dew) and below (the primordial deeps).
- 1:22 Unstained: lit., “empty.” The sword was conceived as a devouring mouth; see, e.g., 2:26.
2 Samuel 1:11-27
New International Version
2 Samuel 1:11-27
New International Version
11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore(A) them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”
“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,(B)” he answered.
14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?(C)”
15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!”(D) So he struck him down, and he died.(E) 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head.(F) Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David took up this lament(G) concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,(H) 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):(I)
20 “Tell it not in Gath,(L)
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,(M)
lest the daughters of the Philistines(N) be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.(O)
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,(P)
may you have neither dew(Q) nor rain,(R)
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b](S)
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.(T)
22 “From the blood(U) of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow(V) of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,(W)
they were stronger than lions.(X)
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.(Y)
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve(Z) for you, Jonathan(AA) my brother;(AB)
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,(AC)
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”(AD)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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